Cornerstone

Hunan brick tea (fu cha) is amongst the oldest of its black tea production. These bricks are made from mature leaves, known as “huang pian” that are thought to be sweet and have medicinal properties. Traditionally, teas like this were boiled (which is, of course, still a great option for this tea). These fermented bricks are inoculated with “Golden Flowers (jin hua).”

Also known as Eurotium cristatum, most of the golden bunches are actually spores. There have been medical studies in China suggesting that they can be effective in treating diabetes, promoting metabolism and as a digestive aid, and even potentially assisting in the treatment of cancer patients. Though Golden Flowers have been used medicinally in China, Mongolia and Tibet for centuries—where most brick black tea was exported to—further research is still needed and we cannot certify these claims. What we can attest to is how wonderful this premium brick tea is, especially when boiled. Since it is an expensive premium grade brick from a few years back, we cannot sell whole bricks, just bags of broken and loose tea weighing 150 grams.